Open-mesh woven wire tube



Nov. 1, 1932. E. E. KELLf-:Ms 3,886,026

YOPEN MESH wovEN WIRE Tues Filed March 30. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 yPatentedNov. vl, 1932 `UNITI-:D `sfraxrl-:s

PATENT OFFICE I EDGAR E. KELLIEMS, O NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR T `KELL'EMS PRODUCTS, INC., OF

NEW YOBK,AN. Y., A. CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK OPEN-MESH WOVm TUBE Application led Hai-ch 30,

This invention relates to open-mesh woven Wire tubes, commonly known as cable-grips, adapted to be expanded and contracted radially by endwise compression and extension,

and to the method of and apparatus for making the same.

These gripping devices are extensively used for drawing metal or fabric covered and other cables through .underground conduits and along overhead supports but ob-` viously may be used for-.many other purposes as, for example, in the installation and revmoval of hoisting and conveyor cables, house Wiring, cable anchors and any other uses to which they might be'put, and are usually formed around and upon a mandrel of predetermined diameter so thatwhen completed theywill automatically assume a normal size and shape corresponding approximately to that of the mandrel upon which they are formed.

The diameter of the mandrel and size of the mesh of the tube are predetermined not only by the diameters of those portions of the body of the mandrel to which the lugs or hooks are secured, but also by the relative arrangement of the lugs or hooks upon the body of the mandrel at` which the spiral:fx strands are crossed duringthe weaving oper- 80 ation. y

The mandrels upon which these tubes are woven are made in standard sizes determined j by the dia-meter of the object to which the tube is to be applied so that the diameter of the tubes woven on the mandrels will be of corresponding standard sizes, but after the tube has been removed from its mandrel it automatically assumes a neutral diameter slightly less than that of the mandrel due to the inherent resiliency of the spirally wound wire strands which tend to straighten with the resultant slight reduction in diameter which varies with the size or length of the mesh. n

When applying the woven-wire tube to an Object, it is compressed endwise to enlarge its diameter beyond that of the object a. dlstance required to give the proper gripping area,

v\whereupon the endwise compression will be released to allow the tube to expand axially 1981. Serial No. 528,349.

and to contract radially u on the object under its own tension ready or use;

Heretofore the general practise has been to makethe diameter of the mandrel the same size or larger than the object to which the `tube woven thereon is to be applied and therefore lwhen the vtube is removed from the mandreli and assumes its neutral diameter, the latter is slightly less than that of the object, thereby rendering it capable of automatically tightening itself upon said object without the use of extraneous means for distending the same axially.

Inasmuch as the means for distending the tube axially is usually applied to one end thereof, itis evident that the draft end of the strands will be first to compress radially upon-the object, while the remaining portions of the tube may entirely fail to establish a tight grip thereon, with the result that only a short portion adjacent the draft end of the tube will be brought into close gripping engagement with the object, -under which conditions the tube is more or. less liable to slip endwise from the object and, if the object is sheathed, the portion of the sheathing engaged by the draft end of the tube is liable to be stripped from the object, all of which is seriously objectionable.

On the other hand, if the diameter of the mandrel upon which the tube is Woven is appreciably less than that of the object to which it is to be applied, it is obvious that when the tube is removed from the mandrel it will-automatically assume a neutral diameter appreciably less than that of the object so that when compressed endwise to enlarge its diameter and placed telescopically over and upon the object, it will automatically and firmly grip said .object throughout its length as soon as the endwise compression is relieved and irrespective of any mechanical force for distending the same.

One of the objects, therefore, of the present invention is to weave the tube upon a mandrel of appreciably smaller diameter than that of the object to which it is to be applied so that when placed upon the object it will automatically distend axially and contract radially under its own tension and thereby firmly tighten upon said object throughout its length with the assurance that when drawn endwise from one end the object Will-also be drawn endwise with a minimum liability of slippage or stripping of the sheathing.

It has been found that the amount of radial expansion of a woven wire tube of this character from its normal or neutral diameter by endwise compression is proportionate to the axial length of its mesh as determined by the axial spacing of the lugs of the mandrel around which' the strands are wound, and it therefore follows that the rapidity of radial contraction of the tube upon the object, under its own tension or by mechanical force, will be inversely proportionate to the len h ofthe mesh. v

he present invention is based upon these facts in that one of its objects is to produce a woven wire tube having a uniferm neutral diameter from end to end and the mesh of different len thwise portions thereofA of different axial engths or sizes according to the nature of the object to which it to be applied so that when placed upon the object the portions of the smaller mesh will be the first to tighten and hold upon said object by endwise distension and thereby to assure a firm tightening of the remaining portions of the tube upon the work as the tube is drawny endwise by mechanical force from one end.

One of the specific objects .is to provide a differential mesh woven-wire grip in which the smaller size mesh are formed at the workreceiving end "and gradually increased in length toward the other end so that when applied to the Work and distended endwise under'its own tension, the portion 1having the smaller mesh will instantly grip and hold the work while the remaining portions of the tube will gradually and rmly tighten upon the work as mechanical force is applied t0 the other end for drawing the tube and work endwise.

Another object is to provide a mandrel with lu -supporting members capable of being adjusted axially to different positions for varying the lengths of mesh of different lengthwise portions of the tube woven thereon and partlcularly to enable the mesh at one end of the tube to be made relatively shorter than the others or, to gradually increase the lengths of the mesh from one end toward the other as the strands are wound around and upon the mandrel. A

A further object is to provide an .openmesh tube of this character havin a relatively small neutral diameter and'a normally elongated mesh so that it may be expanded radially by endwise compression to recomparatively large cylindrical ob- '.ect. J In other words, briefly stated, the main object is to provide an open mesh woven-wire tube capable of quickly and firml engaging the object to which it is applic under its own tension for drawin said object endwise when mechanical force 1s applied to one end of the tube, and thereby to reduce to a minimum the liability of slippage of the tube axially of the object or stripping of the sheathing in which the object is encased.

Other objects and uses will be brought out in the following description.

ln the drawings Figure 1 is an elevation, partly broken away, ofA one form of my improved mandrel with the strands of the open-mesh tube woven thereon.

Figure 2 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken in the plane of line 2 2, Figure l, omitting the wire strands.

vFigure 3 is a perspective view of one of the detached nuts having the radial lugs across which the strands are woven.

Figure 4 is an elevation, partly broken away, of the detached woven wlre tube shown in Figure 1.

Figure 5 is an elevation, partly broken away, of the mandrel shown in Figure 1, with a slightly modified tube woven thereon, in which the nuts have been adjusted to gradually diminish the spaces between them from the center toward both ends, whereby the nuts adjacent each end will be closer together than those approaching the center, to produce a correspondingly reduced mesh.

Figure 6 is an elevation, partly broken away, of the woven wire tube formed on tbe mandrel, shown in Figure 5.

Figure 7 is an elevation of the mandrel' shown in Figures l and 5 with the open mesh tube woven thereon, except that the nuts are arranged abnormal but uniform distances apart, whereby the meshes of the tubes will be correspondingly long as compared with their circumferential widths.

Figure 8 is an elevation of a portion of the woven wire tube shown in Figure 7 mounted upon an object of about the same diameter as the normal diameter of the tube.

Figure 9 is an elevation of a portion of the woven wire tube shown in Figure 8, except that it is compressed axially to a considerable extent and correspondingly expanded radially and engaged with a correspondingly large cylindrical object.

The mandrel shown in Figure 1 comprises a vertically elongated screw shaft 1 upon which is mounted a multiplicity of nuts '2- which are adapted to be adjusted axially by individual rotary movement in one direction or the other, relatively to and upon A the screw shaft -1-, and are locked in their adjusted position against further turning movement by means of a ke engaged 1n registering lengthwise eyways in the tion circumferentially thereon for regulating the Weaving of the wire strands spirally around the mandrel. l

Theouter ends of the lugs -4 of each nut -2- are provided with shoulders 5- to hold the adjacent portions of Vthev outer-v most strands against radial displacement from the lugs, while the intervening por? tionsV ofthe lugs between the shoulders 5v and periphery of the hub of the nut isbeveled at -6- to conform to the spiral arrangement of the strands, and alsolto permit the adjacent portions of the innermost strands to cross those portions of the strands -1 engaging the shoulders -5-, and thereby to hold the inner strands against radialy displacement from the lugs.

When the nuts are all assembled upon the screw shaft -1- and locked in place by the key 3- to form the mandrel, the corresponding lugs of each nut will be in vertical alignment and the distance between adj acent nuts and corresponding lugs will determine the points of intersection of the spirally wound strands to form the. open mesh woven wire tube as -7- and incidentally determine the length of the mesh'of the tube, it being understood that the diameter of the nuts adjacent the lugs constitute the diameter of the mandrel and determine the initial diameter of the tube woven thereon.

This diameterof the mandrel' is, however, slightl less than that ofthe object to which the tu woven thereon is to be applied so that when the tube is removed from the mandrel it will automatically contract radially under its own tension to a diameterslightly lessthan that of the object` and, therefore, when placed upon the' object will automatically and firmly grip the same.

As shown in Figure 1, the nuts atthe upper end ofthe mandrel are arranged in relatively close relation and the spacing between the nuts gradually increased from the upper' end toward the 'other end of the mandrel so that when the strands arewoven around and upon the mandrel from the top downwardly, the

meshes between the uppermost nuts will be relatively short axiall and will gradually increase in axial lengt from the top downwardly without altering the circumferential width of the mesh. j

It will be observed that each of the lugs of the uppermost nut is adapted to receive and support a pair of strands', and that the corresponding ends of each pair of strands are integrally united or contmuous over the corresponding lug, the strands of veach pair being then woven spirally aroundl the mandrel from the top downwardly which is found to be a convenient and expeditious method of weaving the strands for the reason that the loops of each pair of strands maybe hung uponV the corresponding lug with Vits o positef strands hanging downwardly where t eyfarep easily accessible for weaving purposes.

Furthermore, thesecontinuous or looped ends of the strands enable the corresponding ,v I

end ofthe woven wire tube to be more easily slipped over and upon the 'obj ect to be gripped hands' of the operator during the operation of placing the woven wire tube upon and removing it from said object as set forthin my Patent No. 1,670,543, March 22, 1928. i

An importantl feature, however, of the invention consists in the differential mesh of different lengthwise portions of the woven wire tube, and to the means for producing the differential weave so that the variations in the size and spiral angularity of the mesh may be made in different lengthwise parts of the tube as may be required for different uses to which the tube may be put.

For example, the mesh -aof the tube -7- may be made relatively short at one end g surance that the tube will automatically and firmly grip the enclosed portion of the object throughout the length of the tube and l and also reduces the liability of injury to the with the further assurance that the end of V used for drawing the other cable endwise, and

for this purpose both ends of the tube as :-7-, Figures 5 and 6, may be made of relatively smaller mesh -athan the intervening portions, to assure a quick and positive grip of said ends upon the enclosed portions of the cables and cause. the latter to move endwise in unison as one of them is drawn endwi'se by any mechanical force.

It will also be noted that the-nuts -2- may be adjusted axially uniform but abnormal distances apart so that when the gripping tubes as -7-, are woven thereon, the mesh ofthe tubes will be correspondingly elongated to abnormal lengths, thereby permitting the tube to be expanded radially from its approxi tral diameter it will always tend to return to its neutral diameter under its own tension.

Referring again to Figures 1 and 4, it will be observed that the end of the woven wire tube having the relatively smaller mesh -acould not be caused to expand radially by endwise compression to as large a diameter as the remaining part of the tube having the relatively longer mesh -b-, and it is therefore evident that the end having the smaller mesh could be used to gripan object of correspondingly small diameter, while the remaining portions might be expanded radially t grip another object ofmuch larger diameter, thereby increasing the range of usefulness of the woven wire tube having the mesh 0f diiferent portions thereof of different axial lengths.

It will be understood from the foregoing description that when the gripping tube is woven upon the mandrel in the manner described, so that its neutral diameter will be appreeiably less than that of the object to which it is to be applied with the mesh at thev receiving end of a size, considerably less than that of the draft end, the length of the tube may be greatly reduced without sacrificing its gripping efficiency, thereby effecting a correspending reduction in the amount of wire stock used in the formation of the tubes and resultant decrease in the cost of manufacture,

vand at the same time reducing the cost of transportation and storage of the tubes in relatively large quantities with less liability of deformation or other injury.

It is also evident under this construction` irrespective of the length of the tube which may required upon the object, the gripping effect will be substantially uniform throughout the Y length of the tube with the additional advantage that the portion of the tube having the smaller mesh will always more forcibly grip the object and prevent slippage of the tube thereon when mechanical distending force is ap lied to the draft end of the tube, thereby re ucing the liability of stripping the sheathing from, or otherwise marrmg the surface of the object.

e havin e varied according to the gripping area tubes thereon enables the smaller size mesh to be placed wherever it may be necessary or desirable according to the nature of the work to which the tube may be applied so that tubes of widely varying mesh may be made upon without departing from the s irit of the same diameter or, objects of diterent diameters as previously explained.

It is evident, however, that various changes may be made in the construction of the mandrel to carry out the several objects specified without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim is 1. An open-mesh woven wire tubular grip the size of its mesh gradually diminishing from one lengthwise portion toward another lengthwise portion thereof.

2.' An open-mesh woven wire tube having intersecting portions of the strands of one lengthwise part of the tube appreciably closer to each other than those of other lengthwise parts.

3. An open-mesh woven Wire tube having the mesh of one lengthwise part appreciably longer than that of other lengthwise parts.

4. An open-mesh woven wire tube havin(r different lengthwise portions thereof olf ditlerent size mesh but of equal diameter.

5. An open-mesh woven Wire tubular grip having a portion thereof expansible radially to a greater diameter than other portions when subjected to endwise compression.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 16th day of March, 1931.

v EDGAR El KELLEMS.

Furthermore, the provision of means for adjusting the lug-supporting members or nuts 2 axially of the mandrel in differentially spaced relation and Weaving of the 

